The one part of the book that is slowed down is the part dealing with Dani. But that is probably needed anyway since Dani can’t return to Westeros until the right time.

“Joffrey is no TRUE Scotsman!”

I agree that all the major characters in ASOIAF are flawed (although: has Jon Snow done anything really terrible and/or caused any real suffering in the books yet? I confess I didn’t read his chapters as closely as I read some of the other characters’). I just reject the idea that there are no “good guys” (Eddard is clearly a good guy, regardless of the costs of his naivete) and “bad guys” in GRRM’s books. They’re certainly more nuanced and interesting than the standard heroic fantasy tropes, but they’re still identifiable as such.

Joy joy joy, and please stop bickering about the cut in half thing. I personally believed that Mr Martin would suffer a heart attack or something else (die of old age) before he finished the book – I honestly didn’t expect it this year (and I have been waiting and reading and waiting since 1997 and busying myself meanwhile with the trading card game and the boardgame (this one’s awesome!))
Anyone knows if Spectra’s planning an Hardcover? I have all the others in Bantam/ Spectra but so far only Voyager offers a Hardcover edition – I’ll buy the first one anyway.

Let us all wish Lord George Martin nimble hands and good health!

Joffrey and Viserys are both sadistic homocidal maniacs (they aren’t even full fledged characters really. Not human, as it were), and the slaughter of the slavers was not shown as an overwhelmingly good thing. I don’t think anyone ever said that there are only shades of grey, but it’s obvious that the gap between the “good” and the saner “bad” characters is almost nonexistant. For example, even though Eddard is the most moral of all the characters, he is responsible for a lot of death and suffering, just because he clings to his morals above all else.

Until someone describes some redeeming characteristics of Joffrey, or the slaver kings in Yunkai and Astapor, or Viserys, or Euron Crow’s Eye, etc etc etc., I refuse to accept the oft-advanced view that GRRM’s books contain only shades of gray.

At the same time, I’ve only been waiting for this book for under two months. The ire of those people who have been waiting the five years since the last book was published may be understandable!

True, Tyrion’s by far the most interesting and fun character, and the most aware of what goes on around him. But you have to look at the bright side of things – readers will have all the fun of figuring out for themselves things that Tyrion would observe by the by.

Plus, I think Jaime is growing a brain (and a conscience) and Sansa may be about to discover her inner hussy. Yes, the coolest characters are reserved for part two, but still. Or maybe you’d all feel differently if you fancied Jon Snow.

I started A Song of Ice and Fire just after volume two was published, and I figured on a nice trilogy without too long a wait for the third volume.

Then a) the series was extened to a sexology b) Martin decided to change his production schedule to a book every five years.